Use this mileage chart to plan your ride on the Prairie Spirit Trail. The "Distance" number tells you how far it is to a given destination, and the "Round Trip" number will give you a there-and-back distance (assuming no wandering around along the way). The "Services" icons will provide a rough idea of what is available in each community; click on the icon(s) to see details.

While knowing that actual mileage is nice, sometimes it is not the best indicator of what you will need to make the trip. For instance, the segment of the trail between Princeton and Richmond is one of the shortest. However, the slight grade combined with a strong headwind can make it seem very long. There is very little in the way of windbreak and it can often feel like you have a sail on the back of your bike, only it’s not working for you.

What I am saying is that although most people should be able to complete several segments of the trail at any one time, they should be realistic about what type of effort on their part it is going to take. Taking all factors into account will help you be able to realistically determine what your legs are going to feel like in between towns.

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Bike Prairie Spirit

The Prairie Spirit Trail is a Kansas State Park built on a former railroad right-of-way. It connects Iola in the south to Ottawa in the north, over a distance of about 52 miles. This web site is a resource for bike riders of Kansas's Prairie Spirit Trail. The site provide cyclists with up-to-date information needed for traveling this popular eastern Kansas Rail Trail.